1. Field
An apparatus and method for inputting characters using keys provided on portable electronic equipment are disclosed.
2. Background of the Related Art
MP3 players, portable multimedia players (PMPs), and cellular phones included in portable electronic equipment have recently supplemented and expanded the functions of portable multimedia devices. When a user wants to, for example, search for a specific file or folder, change the name of the searched file or folder, consult an electronic dictionary, or input a text, such as characters in the portable electronic equipment, the user generally inputs relevant letters by pressing keys on a keypad corresponding one by one to the Korean alphabet (consonant and vowel) or English alphabet.
However, it is possible to use such a method only when as many keys as the number of Korean and English alphabets are provided. Therefore, the above method may be implemented in a device such as a cellular phone including ten numeric keys and two function keys on a keypad. However, the method is difficult to be applied to the portable electronic equipment, such as an MP3 player, a PMP, and a cellular phone with a reduced number of keys.